Greenville, Maine is one of my favorite hideaways. They don't have Walmart, which is exactly what I'm looking for. What they do have is some of the most amazing scenery in the country. This is not the shore. This is not what some people would call Northern Mass. This is the north woods. There are not many people. You don't have to lock your car. Most things never change. There's a saying on license plates that says "Maine, the way life should be." Well Greenville and Moosehead Lake are the way life should be. I can't speak for the rest.
Moosehead Lake Region has lots of lakes, lots of waterfalls, lots of dirt roads, lots of sea planes, and more moose than people. If you've ever wanted to go and see a moose, you will there. It's simply unavoidable. They are gorgeous and they are all over the place in every bog that you drive by on quiet roads.
Kokadjo is where we stayed this time. There really aren't many people there. There are some campgrounds and some cabins. The cabins are great. They are like having a whole brand new house. Ours even came with a jacuzzi tub. The restaurant and store have no name, but they have great food and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. Marie and Fred are great hosts too.
Did I mention the view? It's positively amazing and that's right from the porch.
Did I mention the sunsets or the super moon? This is not an area where you will find a spa. This is not a place filled with water parks and theme parks. This is not a place where you are expected to sit at a resort all day. This is northern Maine, baby, and these folks get out year round. This is where you can rent an ATV, kayak, canoe, boat, skis or whatever. You get out around there. They will take you whitewater rafting, moose watching, and flight seeing. This is the ultimate in outdoor adventure.
Did I mention the wild life? There are hundreds of kinds of birds. There are all kinds of animals running everywhere. It's a great place to commune with nature.
Did I mention the moose? There are several places that you can go to see them. Lily Bay Road which goes to the cabins in Kokadjo is one of them. Just on the other side of the cabins is Lazy Tom Bog where the moose hang out. They claim that there are more moose than people in Greenville, Maine. They might be right.
One of the best things about this area of Maine is that people have a great sense of humor. One of the things that I love about eating at the Black Frog is that the menu is the entertainment. I love that the liver and onions may not be something that most people like but I like it and when you own your own restaurant you can put what you like on the menu. The menu actually says that. I also have always wondered what the question to number 6 on the ten most asked questions is, because the answer is "no." Fun is the main thing in the north woods, and the Jackman Trading Post is no exception. You never know what you'll find there, but it will be great and often really funny.
Then there are the waterfalls. We went to see Moxie Falls and The Falls this time. The area is full of waterfalls, including Gulf Hagas on the Appalachian Trail. Be prepared to drive several miles down a dirt road and sign a waiver if you go for that one. I've been, but didn't go there this time.
This time we climbed Mount Kineo. This is a huge rock, about 800 feet high that is an island in Moosehead Lake over in Rockwood. The trails aren't real good, they go mostly straight up. The fire tower at the top is shaky and quite interesting, but the views are tremendous. I'm really glad I did that one.
The roads in northern Maine are privately owned for the most part and Plum Creek is the company that owns most of them. They are well kept. The public does drive on them, they even live on some of them. They do have mile markers, but they also tend to have gates which close in the winter. It's fine. It looks menacing, but you can drive on them.
So, the people are nice and fun. The food is good. The lodging is good. The waterfalls and the moose are plentiful. The mountains are rolling. The world moves a little slower. The view is amazing. The sunsets are gorgeous. There is still a B-52 Bomber crash site up on Elephant Mountain if you want to see one of the strangest tourist attractions I've ever seen. There are a lot of places to ride ATV's, see moose, hike, boat, and raft. It's the way life should be.
Oh yeah, did I mention all the moose?
Enjoy!
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